‘In 2019, BJP could go up to 75 from previous 73, but won’t slip to 70’

TNN | Updated: Sep 11, 2018, 15:00 IST

Yogi Adityanath, UP CM

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In an exclusive interview with Times Now’s Navika Kumar, Yogi took a barrage of questions — from Deoria shelter home case to Unnao rape and from saffronisation of UP politics to Section 377. He also exuded confidence that his party would only improve its UP tally in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

What will happen in 2019?

• We are very confident that the BJP under the leadership of PM Modi will perform better than 2014 and form a government in 2019 and UP will play a major role in that.

UP will definitely play a big role since it has a total of 80 seats. But if the Mahagathbandhan of SP, BSP and Congress takes shape, it is said that the 75-odd seats that the BJP got earlier, will come down to 25 and this difference of 50 seats just in the state may cost the BJP heavily in Delhi.

• I can assure you one thing that in 2019, BJP could go up to 75 from the previous 73, but won't come down to 70.

It is said that Yogi Adityanath believes in a Hindu Rashtra. You have had an intellectual disposition and belief against the Muslim community?

• Governance in Uttar Pradesh has risen above the barriers of religion, caste, and ideologies. It is our responsibility to provide security to all the people under its rule and we will fulfill our duty. However, we will not allow anyone to disrupt law and order situation in the state. You talk about Muslims in the state, all those who were stopped from singing the National Anthem are today singing it without any hindrance.

Is it because you are forcing them to do that?

• This is not forcing anyone. It is evoking pride and respect towards the nation and national symbols among people.

Is it respect or fear?

• No, not fear. This is respect. Respect towards our nationality, nation and national symbols is the moral responsibility of every person of this country.

But there are allegations that you paint the walls of Muslim institutions saffron. What is all that about?

• We have not painted any walls saffron. And secondly, what is this negativity towards saffron colour? The first colour on our national flag is saffron.

The national flag also has green.

You could have painted them green.

• I am telling you, the entire nature is green. We have planted over 9.5 crore trees. Will anybody stop that, saying this will spread greenery and promote green colour?

You spoke of law and order and Women safety. My question to you is on Deoria. Whatever happened with the little girls in Deoria? Do you think that should have happened under your leadership?

• Nothing happened with the girls in Deoria.

Nothing happened with the girls?

• Yes, nothing happened. The case is being investigated by the high court and they have not found anything yet. The girl who complained about this case was someone who had eloped from Bihar and she only said that girls from that shelter home were being taken outside. The girl is in custody and the case is being probed by the high court. I had myself appointed a team to probe the case, but nothing came out. We set up an SIT under the ADG (crime) with two senior women officers. The high court took suo motu cognizance but got no results. We conducted investigation against the police officer involved. Strict action was taken against those officials involved in the case who tried to ruin the future of these girls.

But when nothing happened, then why was the investigation conducted?

• The investigation was conducted because they compared the Deoria incident to Muzaffarpur. Nothing like Muzaffarpur happened in Deoria.

But your district administration authorities said that the girls should not have been brought into this shelter home and the police officials continued to send girls there?

• The district administration did not do that. This was a case from 2017 after our government came to power. Two things are clear here. One, that there were complaints of economic insufficiency in the institution, but there is no proof to claim that the girls from this place were sent outside or there were any kind of immoral practices. In 2015, after the Palna Grah case, the Central Government decided to conduct a CBI probe into the economic insufficiency issues in such shelter homes. This particular institution was also under the CBI radar since 2015. We came to power in March 2017, and in June 2017, we had annulled the validity of all such institutions. We instructed the district administration not to send any women or children to such institutions and cancel any aid to them. We asked them to shift all those women and children to institutes registered with the government.

But then nothing happened.

• I am coming to that. We passed this order in June 2017 and then the district administration went out of action. Take example of a shelter home in Hardoi, when it was raided, they showed that they had 23 women on their register, when there were only three. When they went through an investigation, they said that they did that to get government aid. In 2009 in Deoria, this institution was given a certification. Then neither the state, nor the Centre was under BJP. It was first provided aid in 2011 when there was no BJP government. We cancelled the registration, stopped aid and passed orders to shift the inmates. We are probing the role of police in this case, with regard to state orders not being followed. The police did not send these girls on their own. That was done after court orders, but a female constable accompanied them. Among those were girls who had run away from their homes and families filed complaints. These girls, when they were caught by the police, were kept in the shelter homes until further court proceedings. Then the police acted on court orders, whether to give the custody to the family or let her be with the boy she ran away with. As far as the police's role in the case goes, there was a talk to shift the inmates of this shelter home to other state-run shelter homes. Why wasn't it done then? The DPO who went there for a probe on July 31 was stopped from entering the place by the shelter home in charge. She objected on two grounds. One that when she is not receiving any government aid, then how could police conduct a probe. There was an argument on this issue after which an FIR was registered. The police did not probe the case even after the FIR was filed. This happened on July 31, but no action was taken until August 5. On the 5th, the SP conducted a midnight raid without informing anyone. He did not inform any officers in the upper or lower rank and presented the girls in front of the media and posed the entire situation in a way that it was Muzaffarpur Part 2. It was after this that an investigation was conducted against the SP. The district officer was probed for not following state orders to shift the inmates. And hence, I can say that there is no case. It is sub-judice under the high court. And if anything comes out in the case, I can assure you that the government will take strict action against those guilty.

Deoria and Unnao are two different stories. You are aware that Kuldeep Sengar, who was involved in Unnao case was roaming around openly. What is the reason that there was no action against such MLAs?

• For how many days Kuldeep Sengar was roaming freely? Tell me.

Many days.

• No, if your facts were correct then probably you wouldn't have asked me this question. The girl attended the 'Janata Darshan' programme at CM residence and tried to set herself ablaze during it. I was not in Lucknow that day and when I reached at 9pm, the entire incident came to my notice. I immediately asked ADG Lucknow to visit the village on the same night and submit a report. He gave me the detailed report about the case and briefed me about the next steps of investigation. I instructed him to probe the matter on an urgent basis and asked him why police didn't take cognizance of it earlier. There were lot of things which should have been investigated by police. Next day, ADG told me that father of girl was put in jail for having a dispute with Sengar's supporters, the matter where he was not named but his brother and some family members were. I said that the proceedings are done in this case. Then ADG reported that he had died in the jail. I again instructed them to investigate the matter. We then came to know that they were engaged in a dispute for more than a year now. We immediately made an SIT committee and on 10th (April) it was referred to the CBI. It came to my notice on 8th and it was referred to CBI on 10th and our government arrested Sengar. This entire matter lasted for two days and Sengar was free for merely three days. No government has taken such quick action.

Another issue that keeps erupting in reference to Uttar Pradesh is of deaths in encounters?

• Today there is Ram Rajya, not Jungle Raj. Ram Rajya means that there is no discrimination Everyone is provided with benefits of state policies and is guaranteed protection. Earlier, there used to be riots in the state and there were acid attacks on young girls. Today, police have provided them with protection. The people are same but their perception has changed due to our Government. All the directions of the Supreme Court and Human Rights Act will be followed. But if someone comes out to shoot police, he will not be spared.

The matters of mob lynching and cow lynching, whether it is of Hapur or Akhlaq, gets ultimately entangled with Hindutva. What do you have to say about it?

• There is not a single incident of mob lynching in Uttar pradesh. Akhlaq is an old case about which nothing can be done because the government at that time was like that. As far as Hapur is concerned, police has investigated the matter. Otherwise there are no such incidents in Uttar Pradesh.

You just mentioned there is a Ram Rajya in Uttar Pradesh. This Ram Rajya came before Mandir or will it come after the construction of Mandir? The agenda of 2019 will be development or Mandir?

• Our agenda is clear. It is development and good governance. Under the leadership of Modiji. For the first time, villages, oppressed classes, unemployed, farmers have become part of the agenda of the government.

So now we don't need a Mandir?

• People associated with Mandir work will take it forward and we working towards the dream of Ram Rajya.

My last question is about Section 377. What are your views about the judgment of the Supreme Court?

• I don't want to comment on the judgment of the Supreme Court. But there should be a place for social morality. You must remember, our Constitution has defined 'Dharma' and has stressed on responsibility, good behavior and high morals. And it is these 3 principles that the society is based on and this is called 'Dharma'. 'Dharma' is not a pooja. He cannot perform pooja in a defined circle. If responsibility, good behaviour and high morals are removed from the society then we will have to reflect over the kind of society we will create. We will have to see that freedom practiced by a person is not limitless. 'Dharma' and law both put limitations on the freedom that can be practiced. There should be a place for moral responsibility to ensure protection under law. I would say that each individual should stay within their limits and we also should try to stay in limits.

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